Apparatus



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. L HUSSEY DREDGING APPARATUS.

,704. Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

WITNESSES.

ANDREW 8.6RANAM. PHOTO-LHNO.WASHINGTON. D C

3 sheets-sheet 2.

' -(No Model.)

L. HUSSEY. I DRBDGING APPARATUS.

,704. Patented M51 3, 1896.

INVENTOR ANDREW B GRAMMJHUYO LTTNQWASHINGTOND c 3 Sheets-Sheet 8 (NoModel.)

L HUSSEY DREDGING APPARATUS.

No. 555,704. Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

NITED STATES- PATENT FFICE.

A LEVI HUSSEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. ASSIGNOR TO THE MINING AND DREDGINGPOWER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

DREDGING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,704, dated March 3,1896.

Application filed October 29, 1894. Serial No. 527,260. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEVI HUSSEY, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Dredging Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to the improved dredging apparatus which ismainly designed for the purpose of regaining the gold particlescontained in the bottom of gold-bearing rivers, lakes, or otherwater-courses, in such a manner that the gold-bearing sand is excavatedfrom the bottom of the river and pumped into a suitable tank, thegold-bearing sand being then separated from the spoil by means ofsuitable sluice-boxes and the spoil delivered again into the river orother water-course, while the separation of the gold particles from thesand is accomplished by amalgamation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 .represents a side elevation ofmy improved dredging apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same,showing some of the covering superstructure removed. Fig. 2 is a topview of the lower sluice provided with riflles or pockets. Fig. 2 is asection thereof taken on line 2 2* of Fig. 2. Figs. 3 and 4 are verticaltransverse sections drawn on alarger scale and, respectively, on lines 33 and 4t 4, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section of thereceiving-tank and its' connection with the sluices for conveying thegold-bearing sand or spoil.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a barge of any approvedconstruction, to the front end of which is applied an excavatingapparatus consisting of a swinging crane B and a grappling-bucket O,which is operated by means of chains from a suitable hoisting apparatusB, said grappling-bucket serving to excavate the bottom of the river orother water-course in which my improved dredging apparatus is to beoperated for regaining the gold particles contained in the bottom of theriver. The crane B can be swung from one side to the other in front ofthe barge, so as to gradually loosen by the opening and closing of thegrapple the bottom of the river to such a degree that the sand or spoilobtained thereby can be readily taken up with a corresponding quantityof water by independently-movable suction-tubes D, which are suspendedby means of chains D, one at each side of the barge, into a pump P,preferably a steam vacuum-pump of the construction shown in LettersPatent heretofore granted to me, No. 526,652, dated September 25, 189%.The goldbearing sand or spoil is discharged from the pump P through anupwardly-bent dischargepipe D into a suitable settling-tank E that issupported on a raised trestle near the middle of the barge, as shown inFig. 1.

The independently-movable suction-pipes D are connected at their upperends by means of elbows D with horizontal sections Dflwhich aresupported in stationary sleeveshaped bearings D that are attached to thedeck of the barge, the inner ends of the horizontal sections D beingconnected by means of carefully-packed joints 6 with stationarysuctionpipes D, by which the connection with the pump-chamber is made.The stationary suction-pipes D are provided with gate-valves that arealternately operated by means of steam-cylinders, so as to produce thesucking in of the spoil into the pump'chamber first through onesuction-pipe and then through the other. The suspended independentlymovable suction-pipes D swing by the horizontal portions D in thestationary sleeve-bearings D on the deck of the barge, either togetheror independently of each other, as desired, and deliver the mixture ofwater and spoil sucked in bythe action of the pump through thestationary suction-pipes D into the pumpchamber whenever a vacuum isestablished in the same and one of the gate-valves opened for theadmission of the charge. From the pump-chambei-P the charge is deliveredby the upwardly-extending discharge-pipe D to the tank E, thedischarge-pipe D being likewise provided near the base of thepumpchamber with a gate-valve that is operated by a suitablesteam-cylinder.

The steam for operating the hoisting-engines, the pump, and theactuating-cylinders of the gate-valves is supplied from suitable boilersG located at the rear part of the barge, the boilers, pump andhoisting-engines being inclosed by asuitable superstructure, so as to beprotected against the weather.

ICO

The receiving-tank B has an inclined bottom which directs the sand andother particles into a delivery-trunk E depending from said bottom. Thisdeliverytrunk is provided with a transverse grating g, which serves toseparate the fine gold-bearing sand from the larger particles of spoil,the sand be ing permitted to pass through the grating at the lower partof said trunk and the larger spoil beingheld above the grating. Thistrunk is provided with an inclined bottom or guide E Two sluices F and Fare located at diferent levels and connect with the trunk E. The sluice1 opens into this trunk above the grating g and the sluice F opens intothe trunk below said grating. The upper sluice receives the coarserspoil which comes from the tank and the lower sluice receives the finerspoil and sediment. These sluices are supported on suitable trestles andextend some distance beyond the rear of the barge A and are supported attheir rear parts by means of guy ropes or chains from a boom F (Shown inFigs. 1 and 2.)

The coarser spoil is propelled in backward direction in the highersluice, F, at increased speed by means of an ejector g g, which issupplied with steam from one of the boilers G. At the bottom of thelower sluice, F, is arranged a number of shallow riiiies or pocket-s ffilled with mercury, in which the gold particles, owing to their greaterspecific gravity, are retained, while the sand or lighter spoil ispassed ever the mercury in the rifiles in backward direction, so as tobe discharged into the river at some distance from the rear end of thebarge. By this comparatively slow motion of the gold-bearin g sand overthe shallow ri'llies at the bottom of the lower sluice, F, the goldparticles can gradually pass down through the sand, so as to becollected in the riifles and retained in amalgamated state by themercury in the same. The dredging apparatus permits thereby the workingof the accumulated sediment of; gold-bearing rivers and otherwatercourses and the regaining oi the gold particles contained in thesame, even if the quantity is comparativelysmall, as the separation ofthe gold particles by the collecting-riff] es on the barge, inconnection with the excavating and pumping appliances, can beaccomplished at a comparatively small cost, so that a remunerative yieldof gold is obtained.

For the purpose of imparting a larger sweep to the excavating apparatusand distributing the spoil from which the gold particles are separatedover a greater area at the rear of the barge, the barge is supported inthe river or other watercourse by means of three spuds, a front spud,II, which passes through a spudwell in the center of the barge near theupright of the crane B, while two rear spuds are passed throughspud-wells at the rear part of the barge. Suitable devices are providedfor hoisting and lowering the spuds. Vhen the rear spuds, H, are raisedfrom the ground the barge can swing on the front spud, ll, in eitherdirection at a suitable angle of inclination to the direction of thecurrent or to the initial position of the barge. This is accomplished inthe usual manner by means of suitable tackle that connects the rear endof the barge with fixed points that are established on the shore or atsuitable points in the water on either side of the barge. By thecircular sweep which is thus given to the front and rear ends of thebarge the excavating device can be worked over a larger distance and thesuction-pipes will swing in the center of the cut made by the same. Thespoil from which the gold particles are extracted is delivered at therear end of the barge and distributed over a larger area, so that itcannot accumulate at the bottom and form obstructions in the river orother water-course.

The dredging apparatus is moved gradually forward in the river and worksup successively the bottom of the same and separates the accumulatedgold particles from the sand or spoil, the gold being regained from. theamalgam by any known process.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patenta 1. The combination of a barge, an excavatingapparatus supported at one end of the same, a pump on the barge,suction-pipes suspended at both sides of the barge and connected withsaid pump, means for raising or lowering the suction-pipes, areceiving-tank for the gold-bearing spoil, a discharge-pipe leading fromthe pump to the tank, sluices connected with the tank and arranged atdifferent levels and a grating separating the higher sluice from thelower sluice, the latter being provided with amalgamating-rifiles forcollecting the heavier gold particles from the lighter sand or spoilpassing over the same, substantially as set forth.

2. I11 dredging apparatus, the combination of a barge, an excavatingdevice, a pump on the barge, suction-pipes and discharge-pipes connectedwith the pump, a receiving-tank for the spoil, it delivery-trunk belowthe tank, sluices connected with said trunk and arranged at diiierentlevels, a grating in the trunk 011 a level with the upper sluice, anejector in the upper sluice, a laterally-inclined trunk connecting thedelivery-trunk with the lower sluice and amalgamating-riflles in thelower sluice, substantially as set forth.

In a dredging apparatus, the combination with a barge, of an excavatingapparatus supported thereon, a pump on said barge, independentlymovableand disconnected suctionpipes suspended at opposite sides of the barge,means for raising and lowering said independently-movable suction-pipes,stationary suction-pipes connected to the pump-chamber and havingvalves, horizontal pipe-sections connecting the independently-movablesue tion-pipes with the stationary suction-pipes and oscillatoryrelatively to said stationary charge-pipe connecting said pump and tank,a delivery-trunk below the tank, sluices connected with said trunk, agrating in said trunk, an ejector in said trunk, and riffles in one ofsaid sluices, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in pres- 2o ence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEVI I-IUSSEY. Witnesses:

PAUL GoEPEL, GEO. L. WHEELOOK.

